The Penguins have won three games in a row, four of their past five and they're 7-1-1 in the past nine.
They've scored at least one power-play goal in eight of the past 11, and have given up just one goal the past 10 times they have been shorthanded.
All of which helps to explain why they were able to temporarily grab a share of first place in the East Division with their 4-2 victory against New Jersey at PPG Paints Arena Saturday.
Washington reclaimed the top spot with a 6-3 victory on Long Island a few hours later, but the particulars of the standings don't matter as much as the fact that, as the regular season enters its final two weeks, pretty much every aspect of the Penguins' game seems to be on a promising trajectory.
Almost all of them, at least.
Heck, even their injury news, which seemed like an almost-daily source of stress for. the coaches and management for most of the season, has been decidedly upbeat lately.
And it's not just that Kasperi Kapanen returned Thursday after a 13-game absence, or that Evgeni Malkin and Frederick Gaudreau turned up in practice the other day. Or even that Brandon Tanev is back on skates.
As recently as Saturday, two potentially significant medical problems appeared to turn out about as well as the Penguins possibly could have hoped.
Kapanen left the game early in the second period after his faced slammed off the ice, but an incident that could have caused a fracture or a concussion was dealt with by some stitches, and he returned before the second intermission.
Then, in the waning minutes of regulation, Teddy Blueger left the ice in obvious discomfort and did not come back. Considering that the Penguins were trying to defend a tenuous lead at the time, it was conceivable that he had a problem of some consequence.
Apparently not, however, because when asked after the game if there was any reason for concern, Mike Sullivan responded simply, "Not right now."
Would Sullivan have answered the same way had the question been whether he was concerned about his team's recent penchant for injecting late suspense into the outcome of games it appears to have under control?
Hard to say, but it would have been understandable if he'd blamed it for adding a few fresh flecks of gray to his hair.
To be sure, what happened Saturday, when the Devils had the better of play during the third period and got to within a goal with more than nine minutes to go in regulation, didn't rival the Penguins' third-period implosion four days earlier.
Then, you might recall, the Devils scored six third-period goals in a 7-6 Penguins victory.
The Penguins fended off New Jersey's late surge both times, but allowing an overmatched opponent like the Devils to stage a pair of late-game rallies in less than a week suggests the Penguins' killer instinct rivals that of a heavily sedated kitten.
Such a trait, if not exorcised, will not serve them will in the playoffs, when even a single letdown could alter the course of a series.
"Playing with the lead, we could do a little better job," Cody Ceci said. "We've let teams back in it the last few games. And a couple of games before that, as well."
The Penguins' latest victory was not secure until shortly before Sidney Crosby scored into an empty net with one-tenth of a second to play. Seconds earlier, Devils center Nico Heschier had pushed a shot wide of the net from the front lip of the crease.
That allowed Crosby to launch a length-of-the-ice shot from the right-wing corner, giving him his 20th goal and 55th point of the season, assuring that he will average at least a point per game for the 16th time.
Wayne Gretzky (19) and Gordie Howe (17) are the only players in NHL history to do it more.
"Anytime you're mentioned with Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky, that's pretty neat," Crosby said. "It's also a reminder of how long I've played."
But mostly, it's more hard proof of the rarified level at which he has performed since entering the NHL in 2005.
"He's just a terrific player," Sullivan said. "He's a generational talent. All of these milestones that he's achieving along the way here are just more evidence of the legacy that he's built and the stamp that he's put on the game.
"He's building a real compelling argument for being one of the greatest players of all time. And we believe he is."
Historical footnote aside, Crosby's goal had another distinction: It lifted him back into a tie with Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust for the team lead.
Although Rust can't match Crosby's glittering career resume -- know many guys who can? -- he has recorded back-to-back 20-goal seasons, which is a particularly impressive accomplishment since both seasons were shortened by the pandemic.
"It's hard to score 20 goals in this league," Sullivan said. "There are a lot of good players, a lot of good teams. ... Guys who reach that milestone consistently are really good players, and (Rust) is one of those guys."
Unlike most of his goals, which are rooted in his exceptional speed and good shot, Rust's 20th was a by-product of good fortune, as Guentzel deflected a Ceci shot, which then struck Rust in front of the net to give the Penguins a 3-0 lead at 7:30 of the second period.
It became the game-winner after Jack Hughes and Miles Wood scored for the Devils, whose nine-game losing streak does not reflect the ferocity with which they compete.
Nonetheless, beating New Jersey slashed the Penguins' magic number for clinching a playoff spot to six, and moved them five points ahead of Boston in the East.
The Bruins have two games-in-hand, however, so their two-game set at PPG Paints Arena, beginning Sunday at 3:08 p.m., could determine whether they will be able to overtake the Penguins in the next two weeks.
"We need to prepare for these games like it's playoffs," Ceci said. "They're a hot team right now, and they're going to be intense games."
So will most, if not all, of the eight remaining for the Penguins in the regular season.
"This is playoff hockey for us," Jared McCann said. "There's no other way to put it."
Fair enough, but the Penguins will do have a couple of weeks to address some soft spots in their game before the postseason begins.
"I think it's just the little things," McCann said. "Being better defensively. Being harder on pucks. Getting pucks deep when we need to get a change."
And, one would assume, finding a way to make sure that games they have under control stay that way.
MORE FROM THE GAME
• Jeff Carter and McCann also scored for the Penguins. McCann's was his team-leading seventh power-play goal.
• Jason Zucker dropped New Jersey's Marian Studenic with a crushing hit in the neutral zone with just over five minutes remaining in regulation, and was immediately challenged to fight by Devils winger Nicholas Merkley. Both received five-minute majors. Why Merkley wasn't assessed a penalty for instigating the fight isn't clear.
• The Penguins had a decided edge on faceoffs, 36-23, but will face more of a challenge against Boston. The Bruins are the league's best faceoff team, winning 55.5 percent of their draws. Their go-to guy on faceoffs, and with most other things, is Patrice Bergeron, who has a 61.7 winning percentage.
• At least three Penguins likely are sorry that the season series with New Jersey is over. Rust has a 10-game scoring streak against the Devils, while Guentzel has at least one point in the past nine against them and Crosby has a seven-game streak.
• The Penguins' longest active winning streak belongs to Ceci, who has turned up on the scoresheet in each of the past five games. "I'm feeling comfortable with the system," he said. "Feeling comfortable with my partner (Mike Matheson). He's a great player, and I think we're working well together."
• Crosby's empty-net goal was the Penguins' 15th of the season, a franchise record. And it only took 48 games; a non-COVID-19 season has 82.
• The Penguins won the season series, 6-1-1, including victories in each of the final five meetings.
THE ESSENTIALS
THE THREE STARS
As selected at PPG Paints Arena:
1. Bryan Rust, Penguins
2. Jared McCann, Penguins
3. Jack Hughes, Devils
THE INJURIES
• Center Evgeni Malkin has returned to practice without contact after sustaining an unspecified lower-body injury March 16.
• Winger Brandon Tanev has resumed skating after suffering an unspecified upper-body injury April 3.
• Forward Frederick Gaudreau is back to practice, albeit without contact, after sustaining an unspecified lower-body injury April 11
THE LINEUPS
Sullivan’s lines and pairings:
Jake Guentzel-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust
Jared McCann-Jeff Carter-Jason Zucker
Zach Aston-Reese-Teddy Blueger-Kasperi Kapanen
Colton Sceviour-Mark Jankowski-Evan Rodrigues
Brian Dumoulin-Kris Letang
Mike Matheson-Cody Ceci
Marcus Pettersson-John Marino
And for Lindy Ruff's Devils:
Andreas Johnsson-Jack Hughes-Yegor Sharangovich
Pavel Zacha-Nico Hischier-Jesper Bratt
Marian Studenic-Jesper Boqvist-Nicholas Merkley
Miles Wood-Michael McLeod-Nathan Bastian
Ryan Murray-Damon Severson
Will Butcher-Connor Carrick
Colton White-Matt Tennyson
THE SCHEDULE
The Penguins will play Boston Sunday at 3:08 p.m. at PPG Paints Arena.
THE CONTENT
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